MANGALORE Nov 8: Proponents of the Mangalore Special Economic Zone Ltd suffered a major embarrassment on Saturday when the residents staged a protest at the rehabilitation colony in Kulai, where the company had organised a grand programme.

The programme was organised to inaugurate the colony’s main sewage treatment plant and mark the beginning of the distribution of property title deeds to the residents of the colony, who have been displaced by the Phase-I of the project.

Even as the dignitaries such as MLA Abhaya Chandra Jain, Mayor M. Shankar Bhat looked on from the dais, a group of residents began raising slogans against the project proponents saying that major works at the colony had not yet been completed. They flashed copies of advertisements and newspaper reports in which the MSEZ had claimed that the works at the colony had been completed.

Jairam Shetty, a resident, said that contrary to what had appeared in some sections of the media, the colony had no school, bus stop, shopping complex, post office and children’s park.

Sadashiva Bhandary (51), who was displaced from Kalavaru said, “They moved us out in a hurry because they wanted to start their project work. But they have not yet provided us with civic amenities that were promised.”

The protestors criticised the company for alleged “favouritism” in distributing the property title deeds. The company distributed title deeds to 52 of the 629 rehabilitated parties on the occasion. Mr. Shetty told the MSEZ officers, “You have given Hakku Patra (title deeds) only to powerful persons and those who are close to you.” The agitators demanded that everybody be given the title deeds on the spot.

Chief Operating Officer of the MSEZL A.G. Pai told the agitators that title deeds could not be distributed to everyone owing to paucity of time. “All the deeds have not been laminated. The moment that is done, we will distribute it to you,” he said.

Earlier, the agitators took The Hindu around the colony and pointed out the various lapses allegedly committed by the MSEZL. They showed the sewage generated by the colony, which was being released into a farm near a pond of a temple. They said that the streetlights were hurriedly given electricity connections a day before the grand programme. “Yesterday, the contractors of the project went around placing cement rings (used to build wells) around the colony that will have to be used as garbage bins,” said Mr. Shetty. He alleged that the colony did not have a proper garbage collection and disposal system. He said there was no mechanism to maintain cleanliness in the colony’s common areas.

Sridhar Dotamani Poojary (60), a farmer displaced from the Kalavaru village, pointed out that his new house was positioned precariously on the edge of a cliff. “They should have built a retaining wall to strengthen the soil but have not done that,” he said.

The agitators alleged that some of the land earmarked for common infrastructure had been distributed unscrupulously among those who enjoyed the favour of the company’s top officials. “The area behind this grand dais was supposed to be reserved for shops. But, the land has been divided into housing plots,” said Sadashiva Bhandary, pointing to a plot where the owner has started building a compound wall.

Even as the agitators raised slogans, Mr. Shankar Bhat said in Hindi, “Kuch paney ke liye kuch khona bhi padta hai”, meaning, “to gain something one has to sacrifice something”. He suggested that “some people should make certain sacrifices for the overall development of the region”. Mr. Pai, however, assured the demonstrators that things would be set right soon.

Hindu